"Great book despite the first person Point of View"

I have been a long-time fan of Linda Howard, for couple of decades. To find her writing in first person is jarring. Up front, take my review as a person who doesn't care for first person writing. Me, I, Mine...can get so redundant that they stick out like a sore thumb in my brain. That is why I am giving this book four stars. I am not sure why she felt the story had to be in first person, other than maybe trying to draw the market from Chick Lit. It severely limits the story to the first person point of view, not allowing me to know the hero better. It was very distracting, in a story if told in third person could have been five stars. Blair - the first person comes across as "talking to the reader". It was a style that just came across flat for me. Back to the days of old Sam Spade narratives? I sincerely hope not. So please read my review knowing that is MY tastes.

As for the storytelling, it's Howard's classy style all the way. Blair Mallory is a gal with everything on the ball. She was the "it" girl growing up, a cheerleader who married the rising political star, Jason Carson. After four years, Blair's Miss Perfect life is not so perfect. She wins a large settlement in her divorce, thanks to holding damning evidence over the not quite so perfect Jason. She takes that and opens a coed fitness center called "Great Bods". Once again, Blair is on the bright side of life. She really loves the business, the people working for her. Only problems - along the lines of "Single White Female" - starts to intrude into her new remade perfect life in the form of Nikki. Nikki joins "Great Bods" and soon it's clear to all she's remaking herself into an image of Blair. Nikki changes her hair to match Blair's, her clothing is just like Blair's. But instead of adoration, Nikki hates Blair and everyone seems to be aware of this. There are a lot of complaints about Nikki, so when it comes time to renew membership, Blair refused to resign Nikki. Nikki pitches a hissy fit, then storms off. That should be the end of that - right? Not in fiction!! lol.

That night, as Blair starts to go home, someone shoots at Blair. At least she thought they were shooting at her. Blair instantly jumps to the conclusion that it's Nikki. Blair calls the police and when they arrived, Blair is stunned to find Nikki dead with a bullet in her.

In comes Wyatt Bloodworth, police detective. Naturally, Blair once dated Bloodworth and still is attracted to him. The press picks up on that Blair witnessed the killing. So when the second shots ring out this time at Blair for real, the reader wonders if it's because she witnessed Nikki's crime or if Blair was the target all along.

As Wyatt and Blair untangle the questions, they naturally fall for each other. When Nikki's killer is caught everything seems fine, until Blair's brakes are cut, bringing up the question again was Blair the target all along.

It's a very taut book that will keep you on the edge of your seat if it just hadn't been written in first person. Let's hope this is a quickly passing trend and Howard goes back to third person so the whole story is fleshed out, not just the first person point of view - at least for my tastes.

Reviewed by DeborahAnne MacGillivray
Posted January 2, 2005

Read an Excerpt

Summary

Blair Mallory lives the good life. She's pretty, confident, and the owner of a thriving up-scale fitness center. But in the shadow of success, a troubled member of the club develops a strange fixation on Blair, imitating her style and dress. Matters take a darker turn when the look-alike is shot dead—and Blair witnesses the horror.

As the media speculates on the tawdry details of the homicide and pushes Blair into the harsh spotlight, she locks horns with police lieutenant Wyatt Bloodsworth. He wants to lead an investigation without interference, while Blair is determined to probe the dead woman's life on her own. But when someone begins to menace Blair with mounting threats, Wyatt takes notice: Was this murder indeed a lethal case of mistaken identity—and was Blair the intended victim?